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Tag Archives: Time expressions
The difference between “currently” and “presently”
Many people – native English speakers included – are confused by the word “presently”. In UK English it has traditionally been a formal, literary word which means “in a short time”, “soon” or “before long” – in contrast to “currently”, … Continue reading
How to translate “termin” (time expression)
The Polish word “termin” can mean a period of time or a point in time. In English, the word “term” can also mean a period of time or a point in time. But “term” has very specific uses (relating to … Continue reading
Common mistakes with the Present Perfect tense
The Present Perfect tense is made up of have/has and the past participle of a verb: He has eaten all the chocolates. I have included your amendments in the draft agreement. It is perhaps the most difficult of all verb … Continue reading
How to translate “nie później niż w ciągu”
I often see the literal translation of this phrase – not later than within. This is always wrong. Here’s an example: POLISH Płatności należy dokonać nie później niż w ciągu pięciu dni od daty otrzymania niniejszego pisma. WRONG The payment … Continue reading
How to use “since”
“Since” can be an expression of time, and it can mean “because”. “Since” as a time expression When used to express time, the word “since” means: — from a time in the past until the present — from a time … Continue reading
The difference between “in future” and “in the future”
Consider these examples: You should be more careful in future. In the future we plan to make significant investments in Romania and Bulgaria. In the first example “in future” means “from now on and always”. It is often used in … Continue reading
Differences between British and American English
When you write in English you should decide whether to use British or American. Some companies have a policy about this, but many do not. Either way, you should aim to be consistent throughout a piece of writing. The table … Continue reading
How to translate “dziś rano”
“Dziś rano” CANNOT be translated as today morning. Similarly, today afternoon and today evening are WRONG. Say this morning / this afternoon / this evening. But remember that yesterday morning / afternoon / evening and tomorrow morning / afternoon / evening are correct.
Biannual, bimonthly & biweekly
“Biannual”, “bimonthly” and “biweekly” must be some of the most useless words in the English language. This is because each word has two different meanings. They can either mean “occurring once in two years/months/weeks” or “occurring twice in one year/month/week”. … Continue reading
The difference between “by” and “until”
WRONG Write the report until 5 pm. RIGHT Write the report by 5 pm. Write the report until 5 pm means “Start writing the report now, continue writing it until 5 pm, then stop writing it regardless of whether it … Continue reading
Common Mistakes in Business English 